Written by Mark MacNamara. Originally: "Dialog With Stone," a traveler's digression begun in 2004, with entries From Africa, Europe and North America. Now: a ramble-jam through the countryside of American culture, high and low, real and imagined.

Apr 21, 2006

School for Scandal

There was a much needed scandal last month when Mr. J, a math teacher at the Ifrane School felt insulted by his 12th grade students, demanded they be punished, and threatened to quit even if they were. The punishment he wanted was forfeiture of their graduation ceremony. The head of school, Ms. W., a stick figured New Yorker, and a stick by any measure, readily agreed. Dr. O. the university's aging matinee idol and VP of student affairs agreed. For a moment, it looked as though Mr. J. who spent 20 years in the Canadian Navy, had won a great victory over 'the kids.' Actually, they didn't seem to care much but their parents did. Unfortunately, the problem was resolved. Mr. J. didn't quit. The graduation ceremony will go on. But there was a catty little post script, which was that one of the students who particpated in the insult, which was laughing through Mr. J.'s lecture, laughing behind his back, and laughing to his face, was accepted to Brown. This is the biggest thing to happen here since, as my father used to say, since 'night baseball.' Or, 'since Grandpa stopped drinking his bath water.' So the other day the girl's father, Mr. L., who is somehow connected to the palace, came to a teacher conference to talk to Barbara about his sacred daughter. He had just come from talking to sailor. J. who he had told off. "I don't think he realized," said O, "how close he came to destroying so much.' O went on to say that his daugther's glory was not just hers but his, and his family's, and the Ifrane school's, and even by extension the university's. "Everyone shares in my daughter's accomplishment," he said. "It's a shame it might have been all taken away by this idiot."

Which tells you something about the ummah, about how the poor girl that got into Brown has little claim to her success.